• Beatrice Alemagna
    Vi går till parken, 2019

  • Martin Jacobson
    Katedralen, 2018

  • Jenny Holzer
    Wanås Wall, 2002

  • Katarina Löfström
    Open Source, 2018

  • Malin Holmberg
    I will stop loving you, 2010

  • Sarah Schwartz
    Mother, 1990

  • Beatrice Alemagna
    Vi går till parken, 2019

  • Martin Jacobson
    Katedralen, 2018

  • Jenny Holzer
    Wanås Wall, 2002

  • Katarina Löfström
    Open Source, 2018

  • Malin Holmberg
    I will stop loving you, 2010

  • Sarah Schwartz
    Mother, 1990

  • Beatrice Alemagna
    Vi går till parken, 2019

  • Martin Jacobson
    Katedralen, 2018

  • Jenny Holzer
    Wanås Wall, 2002

  • Katarina Löfström
    Open Source, 2018

  • Malin Holmberg
    I will stop loving you, 2010

  • Sarah Schwartz
    Mother, 1990

  • Beatrice Alemagna
    Vi går till parken, 2019

  • Martin Jacobson
    Katedralen, 2018

  • Jenny Holzer
    Wanås Wall, 2002

  • Katarina Löfström
    Open Source, 2018

  • Malin Holmberg
    I will stop loving you, 2010

  • Sarah Schwartz
    Mother, 1990

Art 2018

Richard Johansson Folk Art Museum 

Opening Friday March 30, 2018
Exhibition Period March 30 – June 24, 2018

Spring at Wanås Konst starts on March 30, in conjunction with local art tour Konstrundan, with the exhibition Folk Art Museum, a traveling museum and artwork by artist Richard Johansson, who is both originator and museum director. For several years, Johansson has collected paintings, sculptures, and objects that can be classified as folk art. Folk art has followed him since his childhood and functions as an affectionate source of inspiration for his entire artistic oeuvre. This spring, the project will move onward and park at Wanås. The work consists of a rolling covered wagon, sculpted by the artist, with a collection of folk art. In addition, based on an open call, folk art will be shown in the Art Gallery in an exhibition curated by the artist.

The entire work is made with love. From the aesthetics of the wagon to every item in the museum. I approach this with not even a hint of irony. As many know, my love for folk art, which I’ve in part recognized in my childhood, has also followed me throughout my artistic career. – Richard Johansson

Artist Richard Johansson presents the project Folk Art Museum in two parts at Wanås Konst. The starting point for the exhibition is Johansson’s museum wagon outside the Art Gallery. He has painted the exterior with inspiration from a classic circus wagon and on the interior, we meet objects from Johansson’s private collection of folk art. Together with Wanås Konst in 2018, Johansson has collected folk art from the general public and from local heritage federations. Sometimes the creator of the objects is known, and other times not. Almost 300 items were contributed and approximately half of them were chosen by Johansson for the exhibition in the Art Gallery.

The term “folk art” does not have a universal definition. The label has often been used to describe the decorated objects of the farming society of times past, which were created in connection to holidays and milestones, such as baptisms, weddings, and burials. Today, the concept often includes contemporary textile arts, handicrafts, recycled objects, graffiti – objects from rustic to contemporary. Regardless of how the concept is defined, folk art is always created by people without a formal art education and is carried out with the desire to decorate and refine. Folk art exists as long as people create and express themselves through art.

For the collection at Wanås Konst, the definition has been kept broad in order to gather a wide variety of objects and to investigate how folk art can look today. In the exhibition, they are placed next to each other based on associations and relationships in material, form, and content. Older, contemporary, and timeless expressions are all brought together in the exhibition. The art project poses questions about who makes art and what art is, and makes the odd and unnoticed visible.

Our gratitude goes out to everyone who contributed objects and helped us see more of what is being collected and created right now. Only a selection of the pieces submitted are presented in the exhibition.

@broderauttexten, Simon Abrahamsson, Håkan Andersson, Julia Björnberg, Elin Claesson, Ditte Clase, Mikael Ek, Göran Eriksson, Jane Esbjörnsson, Sven Börje Feldt, Lars Gustafsson, Göinge Local History Society, Lena Hansson, Belen Hoberg, Lars Hoberg, Malin Hubertsson, Ann Jantze, Majbritt Johansson, Martin Jönsson, Tore Jönsson, Bengt Killander, Knislinge Local History Society, Tryggve Lagher, Carl-Johan Lundberg, Torsten Möllerström, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Gert Nilsson, Therese Oleskog, Jörgen Olsson, Osby Local History Society, Linda Paulsson, Pierre Perrett, Eva Persson, Gerd Inger Persson, Richard Persson, Kajsa Rolfsson, Birgitta Siljedal, Gisela Ståle, Mailis Stensman, Richard Stensman, Ulla-Britt Stensman, Linus Svensson, Kajsa Trens, and Louise Waite.


Richard Johansson. Photo Thea Björnberg.

Richard Johansson (born 1966 in Vrigstad, lives in Kivik) was trained at Målarskolan Forum in Malmö (now the Malmö Art Academy) and works with painting and sculpture. Johansson is inspired by music and film, and in his paintings, the everyday human is central, depicted with both humour and earnestness. He has exhibited in Sweden, Italy, and Germany, and his work is part of collections at institutions such as the Gothenburg Museum of Art and the Eskilstuna konstmuseum. He has collaborated with Mette Björnberg to create public artworks that can be seen in Gothenburg, Halmstad, Jordbro, Kristianstad, Stockholm, Södertälje, and Älmhult. Johansson is currently working on an exhibition at Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm.